Why Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas' is the only modern holiday classic

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  • Mariah Carey's signature holiday anthem "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, continuing its long track record of dominating the charts every winter season.
  • In 1994 when Mariah Carey released the single, there hadn't been a new festive standard in a decade; and 26 years later, there hasn't been another classic holiday song since.
  • That makes "All I Want For Christmas Is You" one of the last songs to break into the American Christmas canon.
  • Besides Mariah's legendary five-octave range, what makes "All I Want for Christmas" the only modern holiday classic?
  • We take a deep dive into the song's structure to explain its lasting appeal, showing how it draws upon timeless holiday music traditions.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published in December 2019.

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